Your Summer Wardrobe Cheat Sheet

How to dress like an expensive urbanite …

As summer unfolds, muted shades and classic silhouettes become the cornerstone of any smartly dressed city slicker’s capsule wardrobe. Expensive-looking (but not necessarily so) wardrobe gamechangers include soft suiting and monochrome separates you can mix and match and wear on repeat all summer long. A tailored two-piece is practical and comfortable and feels fashion-forward: choose, linen, silk and breathable lightweight wool so that you keep your cool and feel at ease. Of course, if you prefer to steer clear of shorts entirely, swap them out for cropped, wide-leg trousers or a midaxi skirt, a new length which hits just at the ankle.

Wear your pants or shorts or skirt suit with charging-around ballet pumps or barely-there flat leather sandals during the day and swap for a statement pair of heels if you are heading out for dinner where fancy footwear is now on display on summer’s FROW – ie the smart café or restaurant terrace. A nicely tanned ankle is a plus so get buffing and bronzing.

Cos and Loulou Studio’s tailoring looks neat and polished, while Zimmermann and Vanessa Bruno have looser, breezier designs that wow at weekends – add a raffia basket or bucket bag. Weather still chilly? Cast ne’er a clout, so. Tonal layers of the same colour feel extra chic and allow for changeable weather. Consider off-white or warmer ecru non-stretch denim jeans (Lee and Levi’s) and vanilla, taupe and caramel knits. Neutral knitwear can also be elevated by pairing with satin slip skirts (like Sinead Keary’s Orla satin skirt, €109), kitten heels and a blazer for Saturday night dinners, where your tiny hoop earrings match the bamboo cutlery du jour.

Main featured image via Zimmerman.